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Owls are one of the most fascinating creatures on the planet Earth. Infact, facts about owls state that they have been around for quite some time. Many cultures consider owls a good sign whereas some believe they bring bad luck. That is why in Greek mythology, the snow owl was considered a sacred animal of the goddess Athena. Another fact about owls suggests that they have binocular vision similar to humans. This means that they can see an object with both eyes at the same time. In this blog, you will read more interesting facts about owls in English to improve your general knowledge. So, if you are ready to learn more about this silent hunter, let’s get started.
Table of Contents
10 Facts About Owls for Kids
1. There are about 250 species of owls in the world.
2. They belong to a group of birds called Stigiformes.
3. Owls are divided into two groups called Tytonidae (Barn Owls with heart-shaped faces) and Strigidae (owls with round faces).
4. Owls are called silent fliers and hunters.
5. Owls have large, tube-shaped fixed eyes with excellent night vision for hunting.
6. Owls can rotate their heads 270 degrees in either direction.
7. Some owl species have one ear opening higher than the other. This unique adaptation helps them determine the direction of any sound.
8. Their soft feathers provide insulation during extreme cold winters.
9. Their feathers help them fly silently and hunt prey heavier than their body weight.
10. Owls have sharp talons, allowing them to grip with either three toes in front or one behind, or with two front toes and two behind.
Unusual Facts About Owls for Students
1. Great Horned Owls and Barred Owls are vocal birds. They produce the commonly identified hooting sounds.
2. Despite their name, Easter Screech Owls do not screech but make soft trill sounds or whinnies.
3. A group of owls is called a parliament.
4. The Elf Owl is the tiniest owl in the world. It measures about 5-6 inches in height and 1 1/2 ounces in weight.
5. The Great Gray Owl is the largest North American owl. On average, their size can be 32 inches tall.
6. Blakiston’s Fish Owl is the biggest in the world.
7. Owls are zygodactyl, meaning they have two forward-facing toes and two backward-facing toes.
8. Owls are found in every continent except Antarctica.
9. Interesting facts about owl also include that they are far-sighted, meaning they cannot see objects up close.
10. They have small hair-like feathers on their beaks and feet called filoplumes. These help feel food while hunting.
11. Owls have three eyelids out of which one is used for blinking, one for sleeping, and the remaining one to keep their eyes clean.
12. Owls have 14 vertebrae in their necks which is double the number for the average bird.
13. They have air-cushioned vessel casings. This prevents their blood vessels from rupturing when turning their necks drastically.
14. The next on this list of interesting facts about owl is that not all species can fly high. For instance, North America’s burrowing owls nest in underground burrows.
15. Owls are not great at building their nests. Instead, they prefer taking over the ones built and abandoned by other birds.
16. The number of eggs a female owl lays depends on the availability of food.
17. During the incubation period, the female owl loses her feathers on the belly. This helps her use body heat to incubate the eggs properly and keep them warm.
18. Baby owls hatch in the same order in which they were laid. This is known as asynchronous hatching.
Facts About Owl Diet
1. Owls swallow their prey either whole or in large pieces, depending on the size.
2. The big pieces are then regurgitated once a day in the form of a pellet.
3. They are unable to digest fur, teeth, bones or feathers.
FAQs
5 facts about owls include they have fixed eyes, they can rotate their heads 270 degrees, they swallow the whole prey or in big chunks, they cannot digest teeth or fur, and lastly, owls have three eyelids.
An owl is unique because although they have fixed eyes, their heads can rotate 270 degrees. Moreover, they are great hunters and consume the prey whole even if they have to regurgitate once a day.
Special features of owls include that they have forward-looking eyes, a sharp beak, and acute hearing and vision.
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Hope you like reading these facts about owl. If you want to know more about topics like this, then visit our Interesting Facts and General Knowledge page!